Me ni wa mite te ni wa toraenu tsuki no uchi no katsura no gotoki imo o ika ni semu

目には見て手には取らえぬ月の内の
楓のごとき妹をいかにせむ

Roma-ji: Me ni wa mite te ni wa toraenu tsuki no uchi no katsura no gotoki imo o ika ni semu
English Translation: Seen by the eye alone,
never grasped within the hand,
like the laurel tree
growing far within the moon,
what am I to do with you
Meaning: You are like the laurel tree in the moon, seen by the eye but never grasped by the hand; what am I to do with you?
Commentary: Book Four Love Poems 632

Headnote continued from the preceding poem: "Two poems sent by Prince Yuhara to a maiden"
The poet laments: what is he to do with her, who is like the laurel in the moon, visible to the eye yet beyond the reach of the hand? Drawing on the Chinese legend of a laurel growing in the moon, it shows his learning in Chinese letters.
The author, Prince Yuhara, was a son of Prince Shiki and a poet of the Nara period known for the fresh clarity of his style.

First line, "Seen by the eye alone," means though seen by the eye.
Second line, "never grasped within the hand," uses rae, a potential auxiliary: cannot be taken in the hand; it pairs with the first line.
Third line, "like the laurel tree," runs to six syllables: within the moon.
Fourth line, "growing far within the moon," names the legendary tree in the moon; the character used in the original stands for katsura.
Fifth line, "what am I to do with you," means how shall I deal with you, my love?
Author: Prince Yuhara
Source: Manyoshu
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